


no in betweens

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Community: 1-million-words, Established Relationship, F/M, Het, Rare Pair, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 18:34:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7768690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe comes home after a long day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	no in betweens

**Author's Note:**

> For the weekend challenge   
> My prompt was "Comatose" by Skillet. I went for the word rather than the song.

Joe slid his key into the lock, happy to be home after a long day of helping The Flash chase meta humans, to say nothing of an even longer night of paperwork. The lights were still shining in the windows so he knew someone was home, though a quick glance at his watch as he'd walked up the steps told him that it was six to five and pick 'em if any of his kids were actually still awake and waiting up for him. 

Closing the door quietly behind him, just in case, he hung up his coat and turned towards the living room, smiling when he saw Barry sitting in the chair in the corner. "Hey," Joe said, not quite able to keep the surprise out of his voice. "What are you-"

He stopped when Barry raised his finger to his lips, pointed at the couch. There was a playful grin hovering around his lips that clued Joe in on what he might expect to see and when he walked into the room and looked down, sure enough, there she was. Caitlin, sitting on the couch still fully dressed, head pillowed on her fist, sound asleep. 

Joe felt his own smile turn tender and he dropped his voice to ask, "How long has she been out?" 

Barry stood and shrugged. "About an hour, maybe a little more. She slept through Cisco going home and Iris and Wally heading up... She's pretty comatose right now." He tilted his head. "I kept telling her to go to bed... she wanted to wait up for you." 

That was a teasing tone that was starting  to sneak into his voice and Joe chuckled as he shook his head. That was the thing he'd learned about  Caitlin, that there were no in betweens with her. Either she woke up easily, either by external forces or internal nightmares, or she slept so deeply that there was no waking her. "Yeah," Joe said, his hand dropping down to rest on top of Caitlin's head. She leaned into his touch, made a contented little sigh and Joe decided to just ignore Barry's chuckle. "She does that." 

"You want some help getting her upstairs, or-"

Joe didn't have to think about his answer. "Nah, man, I'm good." Moving around, he leaned down and, very carefully, slipped one arm around Caitlin's shoulders, the other under her knees. In one smooth motion he was on his feet and her head lolled into his shoulder. The motion must have broken through her slumber because she mumbled his name and he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "Yeah, sweetheart," he whispered. "It's me, I've got you..."

He heard as well as felt another of those little sighs against his neck and this time, Barry didn't chuckle but his not quite sotto voce murmur of, "So cute," did the same job. 

Joe shot him a look that might have been warning but there was no real intent there, not with Caitlin warm and heavy in his arms. "Night, Bar," was all he said as he turned to carry Caitlin up the stairs. 

He didn't stop until he got to his - their? He wasn't sure anymore - room where he laid her on the bed and simply took off his jacket and tie before lying down behind her, his chest pressed against her back, his arm across her midsection. 

In seconds, he too was asleep. 


End file.
